Hat brim curling method and apparatus



June 20, 1939. E. w. KIMBER ET AL HAT BRIM CURLING METHOD AND APPARATUS Filed May 5, 1957 Patented June 20, 1939 UNITEDISTA HAT 331M enema METHOD AND .nrrAanTUs PATENT OFFIQE Ellwood Walter Kimber, Colmar, and Peter P. McManus, Philadelphia','-Pa., assignors to John B. Stetson Company, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application May 5, 1937, Serial N0.-140,852

2 Claims.

ing with a hot mm. In the practice'of this me hwater.

od it has been found that the hats. are discolored at and near the brim edge due to mo-iste-ning with The tool also marks and disfigures the surface of the felt. Because of these defects in the process, the hat must be further treated to remove the discoloration and disfigurement.

The majority of the felt hats now"produced have the edges of the brim curled or shrunk by means of a machine which turns the edge of the brim and feds it as thus turned to a concave mold or shackle towhich it is formed by a fluted curling wheel, the shackle being heated by means of a suitable burner or other heating element to the desired temperature. To soften the felt prior to curling, the hat is moistened with water about the edge of the brim by meansof a wet sponge, as in the hand method, before it is presented to the machine. j

The machine operation, while itjismuch quicker and cheaper, not only 'does nototherwise overcome the defects of the handoperationybut involves other difficulties which tend to reduce the quality of the product. The shackle must be heated to a relatively high temperature and the brim is marked by the shackle, and also discob ored by wetting and must be treated after our ing to remove the disfigurement. Also the ma chine thins the edge of the brim and gives it a ragged appearance.

In this operation the hat material or brim edge is cold at the time of curling, the material being turned and curled before it has a chance to be suitably heated and softened. In fact the brim edge is turned up without heating and the initial curling takes place when the brim first contacts the heated shackle and is still cold. Curling in this way tends to breakthe brim edge as it is turned, gives a ragged effect, and it further lacks uniformity as to shrinkage and is not permanent as there is not sufiicient' shrinkage. Also the highly heated curling tool and the water disfigure the brim as already pointed :out making it necessary to treat the hat to remove discoloration. I 1

In .acco'rdancewiththezinvention the brim edge is treated uniformly and heated with saturated or moist steam, a steam nozzle or other means for steaming the edge of the brim being operated in 'conjunction with the curling machine, the ,1- brim edge being steamed progressively about the edge in advance of its treatment by and with the curling members.

. In the curling operation performed in this way it is found that the felt is permeated by the steam as to the margin of the brim to be treated so that it becomes pliable and is curled without injury; the steam does not discolor the brim and the brim being preheated in this way, the curler or shackle does'not mark the brim and there is no ragged effect and no disfigurement to be re-- it is not only cheaper, quicker and more economical but much more satisfactory as to the result so that it is adapted to the production of all grades of felt hats, the highest quality as well as the cheapest hats, the curling operation. being not only permanent but entirely without injury,

to the product so that renovation to remove disfigurement is avoided, also the breaking, thinning and ragged effect formerly produced by the machine is completely eliminated giving a finished brim edge of a uniform thickness and contour which uniformity of contour is retained through' a long period of wear. While the arrangement of steaming unit described and shown is the preferred arrangement in accordance with the practice of the invention as now developed, this arrangement is subject to a considerable degree of variation and the particular form of curling unit shown is not essential to the invention.

In the accompanying drawing, I have illustrated so much of a machine for curling hat 11 chine head and table shown fragmentarily with a y hat thereon in the process of curling the same being equipped with the steaming device of the invention in the preferred form. I

Figure 2 is a similar View, the hat being cut away in the foreground.

Figure 3 is a detail view of the steam nozzle, being a vertical section.

Referring to the drawing by numerals each of which is used to indicate the same or similar parts in the different figures, the hat I0, being treated, rests on the table I2 of the machine. The inside of the hat as to the zone I3 thereof just above the brim, which zone, in the finished hat, is covered by the leather, is engaged by a retaining roll I4 which is mounted on a resilient support beneath the table and on an upright axis to move in a horizontal direction, being guided by the slot I5 to move toward and from the feed roll 2|. The curling unit also comprises a curved upright guide plate I6 which projects upwardly from the table I2 and is curved substantially on a radius corresponding to the curvature of the outer circumference of the hat brim being concave on the side toward the retaining roll 2|. This guide plate I6 is slotted or notched at H in a vertical direction, i. e. downwardly from the top, and projecting through this notch from the rear is a horizontal gage arm I8 which is adjustable as to its elevation by means of a screw I9. This arm carries at its end inside said guide plate I6 a vertical retaining hook or foot 20 to support the edge of the brim in its initial upright position of curling, the bottom surface of the gage arm I8 serving to determine the width of the upturned edge. Beyond the retaining hook 20 the plate I6 continues substantially in the same are of curvature at I6 whereby the turned edge 30 of the brim is presented to the feed rollers 2|, 25 driven by gear 24 and other gears not shown. The feed rollers 2| and 25 control the rate of feed of the brim edge and pass the upturned edge 30 of the brim to the shackle 26 which is heated by any suitable means as a burner 21. The shackle 26 presents toward the path of the brim of the hat a concave surface or groove 28 which molds and imparts the final form to the edge of the brim.

Cooperating with the groove 28 of the heated shackle 26 there is shown a fluted curling tool 29 which engages the inner or upper surface of the edge portion of the brim being curled, pressing it into the groove and causing it to conform to the curvature of the shackle. This curling tool rotates in a horizontal plane upon a vertical shaft 42 suitably driven and projects into the groove sufiiciently to mold the brim edge portion to the groove, the details of the machine being unimportant.

The important feature of the invention resides in the provision in combination with the above elements or any other type of mechanically operated curling or shrinking means for the edges of felt hat brims of a steaming device which operates on the edge of the brim steaming, preheating and softening it with substantial uniformity around its entire circumference as it is presented to the curling means. This device to the best advantage steams the brim edge progressively about its circumference immediately prior to and in correspondence with the operation thereon of the curling elements.

In the form of the invention shown which is subject to wide variation, this steaming element comprises a steam nozzle 3| which is directed toward the outer peripheral margin of the brim at 22 just in advance of the curling means said nozzle 3| being connected to a suitable steam supply 32 preferably of moist steam which is controlled by a valve 33 or other suitable regulating device.

In the preferred form shown as an example of the present application of the invention, the nozzle opening 34 is formed on an incline disposed toward the edge 22 of the brim which is about to be turned and curled or shrunk.

In the operation of the machine, the hat II! is placed on the table I2, the inside of the hat as to the bottom zone I3 being engaged by the flexibly mounted guide roll I4 and the edge of the brim being turned slightly upward at 30 in contact with the plate I6, is advanced and further turned upwardly between the hook or foot 20 and the portion of said plate below the notch I1 and further advanced into the grip of feed rollers 2| and 25, the hat being rotated in the direction of the arrow and the brim edge being in due course engaged by the curler 29 and pressed into the heated shackle groove 28 where it is finally curled. It is of importance that steam, being fed from the nozzle 3| and projected against the margin 22 of the brim, curlingdoes not take place until the steamed area of the brim which has been softened and preheated by the steam from the nozzle 3|, progresses to the turning, shrinking and curling means.

The peripheral edge area of the brim having been first steamed and preheated is turned up back of the hook and then fed to the bite of the rolls so that there is no curling of the cold untreated edge. I The brim is thus uniformly steamed and preheated progressively along its edge area in advance of its treatment by the curler 29 and shackle 26 it being of importance that the brim edge being first steamed and preheated and softened is then progressively curled, the curling being performed without injury and Without marking either by water marks or shackle marks, it being feasible and helpful with this preheating to heat the shackle to a less degree than was previously necessary thus avoiding marking.

It is of further importance that the brim being thus preheated and softened by steaming the brim is curled without thinning, the steam having a swelling tendency and the result being produced without any breaking, the ragged effect as to the brim which was an important defect of the former operation being conspicuously absent.

While the steaming or preheating unit is preferably arranged as described immediately in advance of the curling elements, it may be otherwise arranged to give preheating and softening of the brim edge immediately prior to curling.

We have thus described specifically and in detail a method of and apparatus for curling or shrinking the brims of felt hats the description being specific and in detail in order that the manner of constructing, applying, operating and using the invention may be fully understood; however, the specific terms herein are used in a descriptive rather than in a limiting sense, the scope of the invention being defined in the claims.

What we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. The combination with a curling unit comprising a shackle having heating means therefor, a curler, feeding means and guiding means for turning and presenting the edge of a hat brim to the shackle and curling unit, of means in advance of the curler for steaming and thereby preheating the brim edge progressively in the dipreheating the brim edge about its periphery immediately in advance of the curling operation, the areas of treatment by the curling and by the steaming and preheating operation being progressed simultaneously about the circumference of the brim, and further heating the brim progressively during the curling operation, at the point of curling.

ELLWOOD WALTER KIMBER. PETER P. MOMANUS. 

